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Aventure disputing Arc favouritism after Prix Vermeille victory

Updated / Sunday, 7 Sep 2025 18:15
Aventure had a length and a half to spare over Gezora in the Group One Prix Vermeille
Aventure had a length and a half to spare over Gezora in the Group One Prix Vermeille

Aventure went one better than 12 months ago to seal top honours for the first time in the Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, in which Whirl was a bitter disappointment.

Second to Ralph Beckett's Bluestocking in 2024, the Group One event proved an exceptional trial for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with the duo filling the same positions in the French capital a month later.

It was Aidan O’Brien’s Oaks runner-up and dual Group One-scorer Whirl who was expected to lay down her Arc claims, but having been kept wide initially by Christophe Soumillon before tacking over to lead the field into the home straight, she checked out tamely in the closing stages to finish last.

Whirl’s poor performance enabled Christophe Ferland’s four-year-old to take full advantage with Maxime Guyon always having the daughter of Sea The Stars in the perfect position close to the pace.

She quickened smartly when asked to win her race to come home comfortably clear of Francis-Henri Graffard’s Gezora in second and inspire dreams of going one better in Paris next month.

The winner returned 29-10 on the PMU and a UK and Ireland industry price of 11-4.

Aventure and O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk now had the market for Europe's most prestigious race.

Ferland told Sky Sports Racing: "She won very well, we did not know about the Irish fillies but she did very well today. Maxime was very confident on her and when she came out in the straight she accelerated well so I’m very pleased.

"My mission was to win a Group One with her and that is done and now we have to go for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. She will be better in four weeks time I think and she’s coming along now.

"I don’t think she really enjoys herself before June or July and she’s better at this time of year. It was good ground today so if it’s good ground in the Arc that is fine and if it is heavy she will still go as fast as she did today, even better probably.

"She’s got a big heart, she’s calm with a good mind, she’s the perfect filly to train. We have four weeks to go and it’s going to be a long four weeks. The Arc would be a big bonus, but something hopefully achievable too."

Byzantine Dream strengthened Japan's hand for the the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with a convincing win in the hands of Oisin Murphy in the Qatar Prix Foy.

Japanese contenders are famously yet to triumph in the big race. However, compatriot Alohi Alii has already stated his claims when blitzing the field in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano last month, while Japanese Derby winner Croix Du Nord is also on course for the French capital on 5 October.

Now Byzantine Dream can also add his name to the mix after being shortened for the Arc after his dress rehearsal in Paris.

Second in the Tenno Sho when last seen, the Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained four-year-old was successfully ridden by Murphy when winning the Red Sea Turf in Saudi Arabia in February, and his proven stamina came to the fore here to finish strongly and edge out Andre Fabre’s Sosie.

The winner returned 112-10 on the PMU and a UK and Ireland industry price of 11-1.

Murphy told Sky Sports Racing: "He broke well but the one beside him stumbled and I actually clipped a heel for a stride, but he relaxed immediately and the pace wasn’t super fast and I was able to get on the back of Maxime Guyon [on Sosie].

"He doesn’t do an awful lot in front and in Saudi Arabia he ran around, so I just thought I would hopefully get there hands and heels and if he wasn’t winning today it would set him up perfectly for the big race.

"I wasn’t concerned about dropping back in distance as I think he is a weak stayer over extended distances and has a very good turn of foot. He beat a high-class field today but he does want fast ground.

"He was a lot heavier today and you would notice the crest in his neck is much thicker. He obviously hasn’t run since May and he just did two kind of nice bits of work without anything being difficult in the build-up to this.

"He’s probably quite a light-framed horse who doesn’t need graft and I would hope he could be an even better horse come Arc weekend provided he gets his preferred conditions."

Cualificar snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a thrilling finishing flourish in the Qatar Prix Niel to deny George Scot's Bay City Roller.

Andre Fabre’s French Derby runner-up slightly disappointed last time when only third in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and looked like having to settle for a minor role once again as William Buick saw his passage halted by significant travel problems as the race began to unfold.

However, Buick held his nerve and once finding a gap and meeting clean air, flew home to deny Bay City Roller in the shadow of the winning post.

The winner returned 12-5 on the PMU and a UK and Ireland industry price of 7-2.

Fabre told Sky Sports Racing: "It’s an impressive win for sure, but this is just a prep race for the Arc and it was what I was hoping and expecting with the extra two furlongs and softer ground.

"I took this route with Trempolino a long time ago and he became quite heavy this summer so I thought he would need the extra race [at Deauville last month]."

On his Arc hand, which includes Prix Foy runner-up Sosie, Fabre added: "They are two serious horses."

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